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DECISION No. 06/2004/QD-BNN OF MARCH 22, 2004 PROMULGATING "THE PROGRAM ON CONSERVATION OF BIO-DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL TRUONG SON ECOLOGICAL REGION IN THE 2004-2020 PERIOD"

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Forest Protection and Development of August 12, 1991;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 86/2003/ND-CP of July 18, 2003 defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No. 192/2003/QD-TTg of September 17, 2003 approving the Strategy on management of the system of Vietnamese nature conservation zones till 2010;

Based on the Government's Document No. 81/CP-NN signed on January 9, 2004 by Deputy-Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the approval of "the Program on conservation of Central Truong Son (Long Mountain) bio-diversity in the 2004-2020 period";

At the proposal of the director of the Ranger Department in Report No. 174/TTr/KL-BTTT of March 15, 2004,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To promulgate the Program on conservation of bio-diversity of the Central Truong Son ecological region in the 2004-2020 period with the following principal contents:

I. The Program's objectives

1. Long-term objectives:

To apply general measures in order to manage, protect and restore natural resources and bio-diversity in the Central Truong Son region in a sustainable manner in the course of national industrialization and modernization, to contribute to raising the awareness of conservation, develop the managerial capability and raise the living standards for local communities.

2. Specific objectives:

a) To conserve the important bio-diversity values of the Central Truong Son region, restore and use them sustainably for the interests of the people in the Central Truong Son region in particular and Vietnam in general, aiming to contribute to domestic and international conservation efforts.

b) To raise the awareness and sense of responsibility of the concerned organizations and individuals as well as local community in the Central Truong Son region with a view to managing, protecting and restoring ecological systems in the region.

c) To gradually elaborate and put into practice systems of law, policies, institutions and specific regulations in order to enhance the management, protection and restoration of sources of natural resources in the priority region of Central Truong Son. All programs and schemes implemented in the region must give priority to the bio-diversity conservation and not contravene the legal documents on conservation.

d) To improve and raise the capability and skills for the forces engaged in the management, protection and restoration of natural ecological systems of the Central Truong Son region.

e) To sustainably manage and rationally use the sources of natural resources and bio-diversity in the Central Truong Son region with a view to raising the living standards of the local people and contributing to hunger eradication and poverty reduction and satisfying the socio-economic development requirements.

II. Program execution scope

The Program on conservation of bio-diversity in the Central Truong Son region in the 2004-2020 period shall be executed within the administrative boundaries of 6 provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Binh Dinh and Da Nang city in the Central Truong Son region.

III. Execution principles and methods

1. Assessing the current bio-diversity and socio-economic situation and values in Central Truong Son

2. Prioritizing matters and localities with high bio-diversity potentials being in danger, but not yet invested or poorly invested.

3. Raising the conservation management capacity.

4. Contributing to hunger eradication and poverty reduction, raising the living standards of the local population.

5. Establishing and efficiently managing networks of conservation zones, intensifying the conservation of habitats and species in the priority zones.

6. The Central Truong Son provinces shall have a strategic environment framework serving as basis for directing the execution of decisions on proper intervention in the development process and decisions on land use plannings.

7. The Government budget and policy decisions shall be based on the understanding of the socio-economic values of bio-diversity. The protection forces of the Central Truong Son provinces shall be provided with professional training and equipment.

IV. Program execution contents

1. Conservation

Building and consolidating the system of conservation zones in the region. By 2015, a network of conservation zones in the region shall have been built and efficiently managed through the preparation of investment plans/ feasibility projects for the existing and proposed conservation zones (including projects on buffer zones). Establishing and consolidating the management boards for special-use forests in the Central Truong Son region. Enhancing the capability of the contingent of forest managers and ranger officials in the conservation zones to the necessary extent. Delimiting and re-determining the field boundaries for conservation zones and buffer zones. Drawing up plans for management of conservation zones in the Central Truong Son region in compatibility with the conservation objectives set for each zone. Establishing new conservation zones in the Central Truong Son region.

2. Enhancing the awareness

a) To conduct a large-scale program on "conservation education" in the Central Truong Son priority region. By 2010, a program on conservation education and efficient raising of awareness shall have been universalized throughout the region. To assess the current practical activities of conservation education and the conservation education potentials in the Central Truong Son region. To set up a network of conservation educators. To seek consultancy for compilation of an education program for Central Truong Son.

b) To mobilize resources for conservation education in each province. By 2010, each province shall have mobilized the existing resources for conservation education. To make full use of and bring into full play the existing locations in the region such as Bach Ma (White Horse) and a wild animal rescue center in the region (in Da Nang), turning them into education centers.

c) Activities of raising the awareness and education for the contingent of key decision makers at the provincial level. To combine conservation education with the Government's program. By 2010, the efficient conservation/ environment education activities of the Government shall have supported the Government's big programs related to conservation and hunger eradication as well as poverty reduction in the mountainous regions such as the program in support of forestry sector, Programs 661,133 and 135.

3. Perfecting the legal bases

a) To build up an unified legal framework for the implementation of the strategy for conservation objectives for each province in the Central Truong Son region. By 2010, the provinces in the Central Truong Son ecological region shall have a legal framework for conservation, serving as basis for guiding the execution of decisions on proper intervention in the development process and decisions on land use plannings.

b) To draw up conservation plan and action plan for each province in the Central Truong Son region, incorporating them in the socio-economic development plans of each province. By 2010, all provinces in the Central Truong Son ecological region shall have a comprehensive conservation plan incorporated with the socio-economic development plans of the provinces.

c) To formulate policies on sustainable management of forests and the implementation thereof. By 2010, each province in the Central Truong Son region shall have its own sustainable forest management plan (based on classification of production forests, protection forests of special-use forests) and grant certificates of sustainable forests. To build up models of sustainable forest management on small areas in experimental zones in the Central Truong Son region.

d) To render support for formulation of institution to manage sources of natural resources in the region and control the illegal exploitation of natural resources and bio-diversity. By 2010, the natural resources shall have been efficiently managed to yield many benefits for the provinces and local communities while maintaining the social and environmental sustainability.

4. Enhancing the capacity

To support the training and provide equipment for forest protection forces of the Central Truong Son provinces. By 2010, the forest protection forces of the provinces in the region shall have been provided with professional training and technical equipment. To provide training in languages, especially English, culture and ethnic minority languages. To provide training in community work and conservation education. To provide training in wild life law enforcement and supervision. To publish professional manuals and training documents. To evaluate the demands of the provinces, job structure, motivation and supervisory system in each ranger sub-department. To provide essential equipment for ranger sub-departments. To intensify the community-based conservation work in the priority areas.

5. Economic development

a) To partially satisfy the local community's forest resource demands in order to contribute to hunger eradication and poverty reduction and to raising the living standards of people in the region. By 2010, the models of community-based management and co-management of natural resources by people, the State and private sector shall introduce renewal methods for combination of bio-diversity conservation with stable life development.

b) To support rational assignment and management of forestry land. To support and formulate programs on assignment of forestry land in the Central Truong Son region in the spirit of the national management decentralization policy. To consult with communities when analyzing forest demands and analyzing space. To build up the evaluation and supervision systems for managerial work, conservation and economic benefits, protection. To conduct surveys of successful land assignment projects in other localities in Vietnam. To build up regional networks and models. To ensure organizational capability for forest management at the local level.

c) To build up models of community-based natural resource protection and co-management and species conservation. By 2010, the models of community-based joint management of natural resources and forests and species conservation shall have been built to gain successes in the conservation work and bring about benefits for people.

d) To develop ecological tourism with a view to raising awareness of conservation and bringing about economic benefits for the community, to widely engage branches in the conservation work. By 2010, a comprehensive program shall be carried out in order to sustainably develop tourism for the purpose of considerably contributing to bio-diversity conservation, promoting the natural beauty of the Central Truong Son region and creating a proper life for people.

e) To create conditions for the local communities to develop new appropriate production and business lines and seek measures to generate incomes for them. By 2010, to have created many conditions for the local communities to develop new production and business lines compatible with the conservation objectives and increase income sources for people. To inquire into traditional production and business lines of the locality. To determine lines compatible with the conservation objectives. To guide and create conditions for proper production and business lines to develop, create legitimate incomes for the local communities.

Article 2.- To assign the Ranger Department to act as the key body assisting the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordinating with the concerned ministries, branches and People's Committees of the provinces in the Central Truong Son region in working out plans for organization of the implementation of this Program.

The units attached to the Ministry shall have to coordinate with the Ranger Department director in drawing up plans for efficient implementation at each stage, the attainment of the objectives and the realization of the contents of the Program already approved by the Minister.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 4.- The director of the Office, the director of the Ranger Department, the heads of the units of the Ministry and the relevant provincial/municipal People's Committees shall have to implement this Decision.

For the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development

Vice Minister

BUI BA BONG